Archive for February, 2015

Rebel Councillors Say Council Cuts Aren’t Necessary

Rebel Councillors Say Council Cuts Aren’t Necessary

Government attacks to local Council funding are having a disastrous effect on the people of Leicester. With £85 million having already been cut from the city’s finances over the past four years, two Councillors in Leicester aim to reverse this damaging trend. They say that the Council must stand its ground and refuse to implement […]

Leicester TUSC Street Ballot: 100% Against Cuts

Leicester TUSC Street Ballot: 100% Against Cuts

Listen to the people! That’s the message that local Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) affiliate, Leicester Independent Councillors Against Cuts, will be taking to a council budget-setting meeting on Wednesday 25 February. For any Labour councillors willing to listen, the Leicester TUSC street ballot on Saturday 21st February sent a clear message: Leicester voters […]

Posted in: Leicester, Organising, TUSC
Ending Slavery in Leicester

Ending Slavery in Leicester

Yesterday the Leicester Mercury reported that “A new study has found the majority of the people employed in the city’s garment sector earn less than half the legal hourly rate, which is £6.50 for those aged 21 or over.” This shocking local study on the prevalence of modern-day slavery in Leicester was produced with the […]

How the Super-Rich Get Away With It

How the Super-Rich Get Away With It

“Tax avoidance – everyone does it.” That is according to multimillionaire, former hedge fund manager and Tory donor, Lord Fink. While his claim certainly isn’t true for the majority of us, amongst the circles that Lord Fink mixes in, it is par for the course. For the wealthiest in society there are loopholes and quirks […]

Posted in: Super-rich
Is Labour Anti-Big Business?

Is Labour Anti-Big Business?

Stefano Pessina the tax-exile billionaire boss of Boots has rounded on Labour’s election tax plans as ‘anti-growth and anti-business’. However, Tessa Warrington argues that, on the contrary, Labour remains subservient to big business interests, at our expense. Labour Party leader Ed Miliband responded to Pessina’s criticism by saying he “ought to pay his taxes” rather […]

Posted in: TUSC
Labour and the One Percent

Labour and the One Percent

Sadly, local Council leaders continue to promise multi-million-pound cuts to vital public services that serve the 99%, while vying to attract the super-rich 1% to their towns. Thus “in the past two weeks, we’ve learned that IBM, Hastings Insurance Services and the Tejani family (estimated wealth £140 million) have been given £1 million each in […]

Posted in: TUSC
Millions Stolen from Leicester: Bringing Tax Justice to Boots

Millions Stolen from Leicester: Bringing Tax Justice to Boots

Over £6 million has been stolen from the people of Leicester by Boots the chemist since 2007. This shocking sum was calculated based on national figures that estimated that Boots failed to pay some £1.2 billion in tax in the past seven years. Seeking to redress this injustice, local campaigners working with the Trade Unionist […]

Posted in: Trade Unions, TUSC
Victory of the Marigold Gloves

Victory of the Marigold Gloves

“They came after cleaners with very small salaries and families, forgetting we are women, we are mothers, and if you mess with us we can become like the harpies in the ancient Greek legends…. I never thought that a rubber cleaning glove could become such a symbol of struggle, but it has.” These are the […]

Posted in: International, Women
Leicester Councillors Address Packed Anti-Cuts Conference

Leicester Councillors Address Packed Anti-Cuts Conference

Bringing a ray of hope to workers across the country, Leicester’s two local TUSC councillors, Barbara Potter and Wayne Naylor, gave passionate speeches at the recent annual conference of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, held on Saturday 24th January in London. Councillor Barbara Potter said she stood for a council seat because she was […]

Posted in: TUSC
Darker Shade of Blue – Life on the Azure Card

Darker Shade of Blue – Life on the Azure Card

The Azure card is given to asylum seekers who are under Section 4, awaiting a result on their claim for asylum. The card limits where you can go to for food and other essentials and asylum seekers live on a measly £36.62 a week. They do not have access to other benefits and are not […]